the burying ground on a hillside not far away. There were
hired mourners, as is the custom in that country, who made many doleful
noises, and behind them came a weeping woman--the mother of the young
man who had died.

His body was borne by friends and followed by many more, for all felt
sorry for the poor woman who had lost her only son.

As the procession passed Jesus said two little words to the
woman--"Weep not," and then He put forth His hand and touched the bier.
The men who bore it set it down before Jesus who looked down into the
face of the dead, saying,

"Young man, I say unto thee, arise!"

In a moment the young man opened his eyes, sat up, and began to speak,
and Jesus gave him back from the grave to his happy mother.

While Jesus was near Nain some of the disciples of John the Baptist
came to see Him. John was in prison still, down in the low, hot
country by the Dead Sea. He had heard strange stories about Jesus from
the disciples who came to see him, and because they were not settled in
their mind about Him, John sent them to find Him and to say,

"Art thou He that should come, or do we look for another?"

Jesus told them to go and tell John what they saw.

"The blind receive their sight and the lame walk, the lepers are
cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have
the gospel preached to them, and blessed is he whosoever shall not be
offended in me."

Then Jesus taught the people who stood by, and the lesson ended with
these words which he speaks to the whole world,

"Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give
you rest; take my yoke upon you and learn of me, for I am meek and
lowly of heart, and ye shall find rest unto your souls; for my yoke is
easy and my burden is light."

This is the loving invitation of Jesus to every one of us to enter the
Kingdom of Heaven, and it is the King Himself who invites us.

CHAPTER XIX.

MARY OF MAGDALA.

There was a Pharisee named Simon, who was very curious to know what
Jesus taught, although he had no wish to be His disciple. He was a
rich man and lived in a beautiful house with a court. Beyond the court
was a banqueting room with couches on which guests sat leaning upon the
tables in the Eastern fashion. There were other guests invited to hear
Jesus talk, the friends of Simon, and it is quite probable that when
they came the servants of Simon met them and took their sandals and
washed the